Europe resorts to drastic measures as rivers dry up, bringing energy and economic pain

Aug. 8, 2026, 5:00 AM EDTSweltering heat waves. Deadly, unprecedented wildfires. And now Europe’s key rivers are drying up, threatening to wreak new havoc across the continent in this summer of climate extremes.Authorities have blown up riverbeds, ordered energy-saving measures and shut down nuclear reactors in an effort to stave off the crisis. But it’s already fueling disruption and economic costs.The record low water levels could be seen this week from the Danube to the Rhine, waterways at the heart of Europe’s identity and industry. Sunken World War II ships have even emerged from beneath the rivers, as the crisis exposes relics of Europe’s war-defined past, as well as the dangers of heat and drought that may define its future.Riverbed dries upThe Danube, Europe’s second-longest river,